SHARJAH, Editor-in-Chief of the Emarat Al Youm newspaper, Sami Al Reyami, cited confidence in official communication as the most effective element in delivering messages to the public.
“The key reason for the UAE’s successful handling of the COVID-19 crisis is the total confidence that nationals and residents had in the official procedures implemented. While fear and panic were rampant worldwide, just two simple words – ‘don’t worry’ – from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, quelled the fears of people in the UAE. The stability we witnessed during the countrywide National Disinfection Programme, over a two-month period proved that even a simple message can go a long way in building public confidence,” Al Reyami said.
“The bigger crisis we faced was the false information epidemic – or ‘infodemic’ – of people spreading misinformation without the need for backing it up with true and authentic facts. The virus itself is less dangerous than the wrong information surrounding it. The UAE employed a direct and indirect approach to combat this, using statements and actions by the leaders and social media messaging to dispel wrong facts and convey the right actions to be followed by the public during the pandemic,” he added.
Source: Emirates News Agency